A/N You can blame my Muse, she obviosly prefers the dry heat of New Mexico to midwest humidity.
Characters not mine although I just love to play with them, I promise to return them in one peice.
Who Protects The Protector?
Being in law enforcement we've all sworn to serve and protect the public. To keep the innocent safe and apprehend the ones intent on causing them harm. It's a universal calling no matter the branch of service and it's what connects us all. When we hear of a fellow law enforecement officer fallen victim we all feel a shared pain as well as a common desire for vengence against those responsible. But so much sharper is that pain when the victim is the one who works beside us. At times it can almost seem unbearable.
Marshall Mann sat at the bar in the recently opened Square 109 Restaurant. & Pub and sipped his third whiskey in about 2 hours. It was Friday night and he was feeling older than his years. and more than ready to spend the weekend regrouping both mentally and physically before facing again the unpredictability of being a WITSEC Inspector. The preceding week had been filed with seemingly unending crisis from one of his witnesses found dead in their apartment to another one diagnosed with terminal cancer. However the death had been ruled natural causes and no foul play suspected but still it had led to some anxious moments until that determination had come through.
The red headed bartender paused from wiping out ash trays to ask, "You ready for a refill yet?"
"No, I'm good," Marshall replied, setting the glass down. He glanced at the clock above the mirrored wall. "Need to be taking off anyway."
" Okay," she replied, turning her attention to the other patrons.
Dropping a couple of bills on the bar, he said, "Keep the change," and reached for his jacket.. Slinging it over his shoulder, he headed for the door.
After watching his slender figure as he made his way past the pool table and juke box, she turned to the woman who had quickly taken the vacated bar stool and asked, "What can I get you?"
Outside there was a slight breeze blowing and the night sky obscured by clouds. Marshall knew that to be a sure sign of one of the brief storms, furious in their intensity as way to make up for their rarity and he quickened his pace, heading for the GMC parked just around the block.
He was approaching a dimly lit alley when he heard a woman screaming only to be abruptly cut off. Although he'd been someone lost in thought when while he walked, at the sound of the scream he was instantly alert, every bit the US Marshal. Reaching for his weapon with one and with the other making sure his phone was ready to call 911 he approached the alley
The light from one nearly burned out street lamp cast a dim illumination over the scene. By an old trash dumpster a young woman was lying sprawled face down on the ground. There was no one in sight as Marshall knelt at by her side feeling for a pulse, his gun still clasped in his other hand. There was none and the skin beneath his fingers was sticky with blood. Wiping his hand on his jeans he started to pull out his phone.
So intent was he on the woman that he didn't realize that they were no longer alone in the alley Not until he felt something strike him hard in his side; a blow that drove the breath from his lungs and toppled him onto the body. Attempting to raise himself up to defend himself against his assailant, the US Marshal caught a brief glimpse of a bearded face and long hair before a final blow struck him in the head instantly sending him spiraling into blackness and oblivion. As he lay there the threatened down pour arrived almost instantly washing away the evidence and leaving only the two motionless figures.
The storm had ended and the bars were beginning to empty out when a drunken man stumbled into the alley to relive himself and upon seeing what he perceived to be two bodies, he promptly flooded his pants and ran to find a cop. Flagging down a passing patrol car he pointed to the alley and managed to stammer out, "B-bodies in t-there.!"
Although it was obvious that the man had spent way too much time in his cups, the officers were inclined to take him serious enough to give the alley a cursory look Just to make sure that it wasn't department store mannequins he'd seen. After all a used junk shop opened up on it.
Flashlights in hand the patrol officers cautiously approached the entrance of the alley, their powerful beams soon picking out the figures on the ground; a woman in pink sequined shorts and halter top and a man lying face down a foot or so away. Kneeling by the woman it was quickly obvious that she was a case of or the ME. The younger office knelt by the man and touched his neck expecting to find the same but although the skin beneath his fingers was slightly chilled, he could still feel a faint pulse. Looking up at his partner he ordered, "This one's still got a pulse but we need an ambulance pronto.!"
The other one had already radioed for the Coroner's wagon and quickly amended his report. "We need EMTS to this location. One's still breathing."
"Right on it," was the reply.
While one patrol officer move d to the entrance to the alley to direct the ambulance the other stayed kneeling by the injured man, checking fro any ID.